“More Bedazzling, Please”; Sam Smith Revisits Their Life in Looks

Whether it’s a fabulous Valentino cape or a dramatic, blown-up latex look, Sam Smith’s red carpet style has been a total delight to watch evolve—so who better to explore their life in looks than the singer themself? In their new Vogue video, Smith revisits some of their most memorable fashion moments, whether they were accepting a Grammy award or filming a new music video. “Every day when I wake up, I decide who I want to be that day,” says Smith. “I feel like a kid in a dress-up box.”

Going back to the beginning, Smith first recalls the cover of their debut album, In the Lonely Hour, which recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. The star describes playing it classic when their career was first blossoming with loads of tailored suits. “This was the first time that I started wearing masc clothing,” says Smith. “All through school, I wore dresses, leggings, and makeup; I started to find a lot of comfort in dressing down for the first time.”

Smith’s affinity for sleek tailoring continued throughout the 2010s. There was the cashmere coat they wore at the 2014 American Music Awards—“It was fucking hot,” Smith remarks—or the red Gucci suit they wore to the 2015 Grammys (when they won best new artist, best record, and song of the year). “I had always dreamed of being on that stage,” says Smith. “I wanted to look timeless and classic, and the focus to be on me and what I was singing.”

More recently, Smith has dialed up their fashion choices, joyfully experimenting with the avant-garde. It’s an era that began with Smith’s “Unholy” music video, for which they wore a corseted Hed Mayner look. “I felt so powerful. This was my first time I wore a corset, and it was a really long two days of shooting in a corset,” Smith says, laughing.

Then, at the 2023 Brit Awards, Smith went viral for a latex look designed by Harri. “This is my favorite thing I’ve ever worn in my life,” they say. “Once I was blown up, we had to lube the whole outfit. I remember my mom sitting there being like, What the fuck is going on?” The star adds that the bold ensemble required serious planning. “I couldn’t get in the car to get to the red carpet, so I had to walk outside of the arena past all of the crew—and I was just squeaking and walking by.” We love a star who commits.

Above, watch Smith’s full Life in Looks video.

Director: Michael Brown
Director of Photography: Frances Chen
Editor: Michael Suyeda
Producer: Kevyn Fairchild
Producer, On Set: Gabrielle Reich
Associate Producers: Lea Donenberg, Joe Walsh
Assistant Camera: Kirsten Potts
Gaffer: Julia Gowesky
Audio: Amelia Palmer
Production Assistant: Ziyne Abdo
Production Coordinators: Ava Kashar, Tanía Jones
Production Manager: Natasha Soto-Albors
Line Producer: Romeeka Powell
Senior Director, Production Management: Jessica Schier
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Erica DeLeo
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Entertainment Director: Sergio Kletnoy
Director, Content Production: Rahel Gebreyes
Senior Director, Programming: Linda Gittleson
VP, Video Programming: Thespena Guatieri
Images: Alasdair McLellan Photo
Filmed at Gallery Penthouse at ModernHaus SoHo